Is Customer Service Dead?
I mean really, are there any businesses out there, especially the big ones, that even try to make customer service a priority? It seems like everywhere I go, almost every business I give my hard earned money too, I get treated like crap just like everyone else I see. Think about it, how many times have you been through the drive-through at probably any fast food joint and actually gotten what you ordered? Not that often in my experience.
Today for example, I went to the local Wendy’s to get a sandwhich. I order a chicken filet sandwhich, a large fry and since I am in my truck a small drink because the big ones don’t fit in the cup holder. I pull around to get my order and I am handed a large drink … OK, fine, I decide not to say anything (I did pay for it after all) because I don’t want to hold up the line or anything. I get my bag of food and pull away, and yes you guessed it, I should have checked the bag before I pulled out. They at least got the sandwhich right, but instead of a large fry, I got a small fry. Now, let me say that this wasn’t some huge catastrauphic mistake, it was just a misunderstanding at the drive through, no big deal right? Right, except I see this almost every time at all of the drive throughs! Wendy’s, McD’s, Bk, all of them, it’s like the people that work there just don’t care at all.
Another fiasco today involved my local pharmacy. I got a prescription from my doctor today for an ailment he is treating, so I take it to the pharmacy and they run back and make sure it’s in stock and all that. They then tell me it will be 30 minutes, so I decide to kill some time and grab a bite to eat (hence the trip to Wendy’s). I give them 45 minutes, tossing in an extra 15 just for good measure and then head back. When I get there and go to pick up my medicine, I am told that they can’t fill it until tomorrow for some reason. So now I have just wasted almost an hour waiting for this, only to be told I can’t get it and have to make another trip into town tomorrow. Again, the trip in and of itself is not the problem, it’s the jerking around and wasted time that pushes my buttons.
I am someone that has been in the customer service industry for more than 20 years. I know what it’s like to provide good customer service, and I know when to stop being nice becuase your customer doesn’t deserve it, but it seems like most companies nowadays just don’t even try. They get their customers all wrapped up in multi-tiered voice mail/menu systems so they don’t even have to talk to you and heaven forbid if they have a lock on whatever that particular service might be. Utilities are great for that, for example, our local electric company American Electric Power (AEP) knows they are the only girl in town so they rape their customers every chance they get, they have some of the worst customer service I have ever seen, and are the most apathetic people in existence when the power is out. Not to mention they raise the rates any time they want because they know that all of their customers are hostages. What are we gonna do, go get service from another company? Yeah, they know. They have gotten well over 100% in rate hikes in the last few years, blaming the majority of these hikes on coal prices. I personally have seen my bill more than double, and that’s while at the same time working towards being more energy conscious and even replacing appliances, thermostats and more around the house with newer and more effecient units.
I could go on about the gas companies jacking prices at the pump claiming they had to in order to survive, all the while making record profits, but frankly I think you get the idea. Customer Service is a lost art, and I for one am sad to see it go. Maybe some stuffed shirt big wig out there will get some sense and realize that good customer service is really the key to success and building a large and loyal customer base. Well, that and a good product too.
